> Does anyone know of any good references on Native art forms? I'm interested
> in the politics and power involved in creating and presenting art forms, as
> well as art as a cross-cultural communication mechanism. Any assistance
> provided would be greatly appreciated.
There is a book titled "Exhibiting Culture" which covers the politics
of presenting native art (sorry, but I don't have an author at hand, but
published in 1993). You might also look up:
Dorothea S. Whitten and Norman E. Whitten, Jr. (eds.)(1993)
Imagery and Creativity: Ethnoaesthetics and Art Worlds in the
Americas. Arizona University Press, Tucson, Arizona.
Provenances and Pedigrees: The Western Appropriation of Non-Western
Art. Sally Price.
Power, Pathways, and Appropriations in Mesoamerican Art. Susan D.
Gillespie.
The Modern Gallery Exhibition as a Form of Western-Indigenous Discourse.
J. Edson Way.
Style and State in Ancient Peru. Helaine Silverman.
Ethnic Arts of the Fourth World: The View from Canada.
Nelson H.H. Graburn.
(some others, more off the subject).
Michael Taussig has also written about the native art/Western
collision.
Hope this helps.
Preston Hardison pdh@u.washington.edu